Episode
Data Centers, Elon Musk, and the New Politics of Tech, with David Weigel
- Podcast
- Channels with Peter Kafka
- Published
- Sep 2, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3200
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Summary
Not long ago, most Americans had never heard of data centers. Now most Americans are actively opposed to them.It’s a head-snapping change — one that is befuddling tech bosses, and forcing some politicians to quickly change their tune.It’s the second part that I wanted to talk to David Weigel about. Weigel has been covering politics for years — he’s at Semafor now — and has a well-earned reputation for on-the-ground reporting, around the US. So I wanted his point of view on why the anti-data center movement — and the anti-tech movement in general — has sprung up, and how it is scrambling elections around the country.Plus: Elon Musk’s return to midterm politics, the growing revolt against Flock cameras, and what it takes for a political reporter to figure out whether an online argument is real in the first place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices